


The Locket

by duskblue



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Harry/Ginny mentioned, Relationship Reveal, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-03
Updated: 2016-02-03
Packaged: 2018-05-18 00:08:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5890465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/duskblue/pseuds/duskblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Draco gives Hermione a gift while they hide their relationship from Hermione's friends. Later on, they can no longer hide it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a few years ago as a short Dramione story. It has two parts and is quite cute ^^

“Here,” Draco said and reached his arms around Hermione's neck. “Don't make a big deal about it, because it's nothing. It's not like I spent a ton of money, and don't go home and spend all night thinking about what it means because it doesn't mean anything.” When he pulled back from her, his brows were furrowed, and he didn't really meet her eyes. “I just saw it in the store window and thought of you. That's it.”

“What is it?” she said, looking down see what it was he had fastened around her neck. She reached up and grasped a little gold heart that appeared to be a locket. “Oh! This is—”

“Nothing!” He held up his hands. “Like I said, I saw it in the window and thought it would look good on you. That's all.”

She looked up at him and gave him a knowing smile. “It's really pretty, Draco. Thank you. But... is anything inside?”

He looked away again. “You can open it, I suppose.”

She pried open the tiny edges, and the heart opened on its hinges. Engraved on one side, there was a D, and on the other, an H. Between them, a tiny sparkling rose hung in the air by magic until Hermione closed the locket and it disappeared. She grinned up at Draco, who was peeking up at her from under his brows, and then threw herself in his arms. “I love it!”

“It's nothing special,” he said after she had kissed him and then grinned at her. “But I'll admit... I do have fantastic taste.”

*****

One thing about being best friends with guys like Harry Potter and Ron Weasley was that in order to see them on a regular basis, Hermione had to occasionally attend events that she would otherwise prefer not to. Case in point: Quidditch games.

Lately she had been spending quite a bit of time with Draco, and Harry and Ron were pretty busy with their own lives that the hadn't noticed her absence too much, but they all came together sometimes, and Quidditch was that time this week, unfortunately. She had taken her spot between them on the bleachers, holding tightly to her butterbeer and casting lots of warming spells to keep them warm. She could only hope that the snitch would be caught quickly so they could get out of there sooner rather than later.

“So, Hermione,” Harry said at a quiet point during the game. “We haven't seen you much lately. “Have you been busy at work?”

Hermione laughed nervously. What had she just been thinking about Harry and Ron not noticing her absence? “It's been a little busy,” she said. “Always working on something, I guess. What have you guys been up to? Any new girlfriends I haven't heard of?”

“That's a right awful question,” Ron said, poking her in the side. “You know very well he's seeing my sister! Who, by the way, hasn't seen you in over two weeks! She called me the other day wondering where you've been. Where have you been, anyway?”

“Um...” Hermione looked up at him. “Harry's right,” she said. “Busy at work. You know how things can get.”

Ron's eyes suddenly narrowed, but was no longer looking at her face. “What is that thing you're wearing around your neck? Is that a locket? I've never seen you wear that before... Harry, have you seen that before?”

Suddenly she had both Ron and Harry nearly looking down her shirt, and she practically had to shove them aside, all the while trying not to spill her butterbeer all over her lap. “Would you please keep your big fat noses out of my blouse?”

“Geez, Hermione,” Harry said. “No need to get so defensive. If someone gave you that locket, there's no need to keep it from us. Right, Ron?”

Ron didn't say anything.

Hermione moved her collar so that the locket wasn't showing, glanced over at Ron, and then focused back in on Harry. “I just don't see why it's any of your business. Why don't you watch the game? That's why we came here, isn't it? Oh look, that team wearing the blue and green just scored a point. Isn't that wonderful?”

“Do you even know the name of that team?” Ron said from beside her in a low voice.

She gave him a sideways glance. “I don't see why it matters. Let's just relax and have a good time.”

It was quiet for several minutes while they watched the game, Hermione not really paying attention, and then Ron said, “Who gave you that locket, Hermione?”

“Ugh!” she said. “I don't want to talk about it, Ron. If you're going to keep asking me, then I don't even want to sit next to you.”

“Honestly,” Harry said in a quiet voice. “I don't see why it has to be such a secret. So you have a boyfriend. What's the big deal? Unless...” His eyes were wide when Hermione shot him a look. “Unless it's someone you don't want us to know about.”

“This is ridiculous,” Ron muttered. “I don't even want to have this conversation anymore.”

“I thought you just said you wanted to know who it was.” Harry said.

Ron folded his arms over his chest and put his chin up. “I changed my mind.”

Hermione put her hand to her forehead and groaned. She had thought the locket was such a great present when Draco had given it to her, but now sitting between Ron and Harry and having this horrid conversation, she was starting to second guess that first impression.

“Is it true?” Harry asked. “Is it someone you don't want us to know about?”

“I'd rather not talk about it at a Quidditch game,” she said but didn't look at him. It looked like she was going to have to talk to Draco about what they were going to do about coming out with their relationship in the near future. Once Harry and Ron had a clue, they weren't going to leave her alone about it for long.


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ferret's out of the bag.

"I'm sick of sneaking around!" Hermione pulled Draco close in front of the back door to her flat and wrapped her fingers around his shirt. "I have to tell my friends soon. Besides, I think they suspect something."

He let her kiss him, but didn't suppress a groan. Telling Potter and Weasley wasn't exactly on his list of priorities. In fact, it would undoubtedly make his life a hundred times worse. "Come on," he said and encircled his arms around her waist. "It's not so bad... is it?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I just told you I was sick of it. And Harry and Ron... they're getting close to figuring us out."

"Well, then." He let out a chuckle. "Even so... I doubt they're even close to the truth. No offense, Hermione, but your friends... not exactly the brightest."

She stuck out her lip and pushed him him away. "My friends are not dumb!"

"Your words," he said. "Not mine!"

The look on her face was murderous, and Draco found it almost irresistible. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back into his arms. "Come on," he said. "If you tell them, they'll flip out and probably murder me or something. Do you really want that?"

She pulled away from his kiss with a shocked expression on her face. "Murder you!? You can't be serious!"

"Who knows!" He reached around her for the door knob and pushed it open. "Though I would give anything to see the looks on their faces when--"

Two sets of wide eyes met him from behind the kitchen counter and their jaws practically dropped to the floor.

"Bloody hell!" Weasley exclaimed, his palms flat on the counter.

Hermione pulled away from Draco, and moved between him and her friends. "Wait, I can explain!"

"Maybe they should explain what the hell they're doing in your flat!" Draco said, puffing up his chest a little. "Or is this considered breaking and entering?"

Weasley made a move to break out from behind the counter, but Potter held him back. "Like you should talk!" Weasley said. "What are you even doing here? And what right do you have to put your hands on Hermione?"

"Stop it!" Hermione cried and then took a few deep breaths while she looked around at everyone staring at her. "Actually... why are you two here?" she asked her friends.

"Um..." Potter said. "Maybe you forgot, Hermione, but you left of your work stuff over at our place night. Ginny said you wouldn't mind if we brought the spare key to return it since you might need it..." He gestured to the pile of paperwork on the counter.

"Oh." A blush crept onto her cheeks. "Well, thank you. That was really thoughtful."

Weasley stepped forward. "Now it's your turn!" he said. "What the hell is Malfoy doing here?"

"At least I came in with Hermione!" Draco said, taking a step around Hermione. "I don't think she owes you any explanation. She can have over whomever she pleases. This is her place, after all." He looked over at her, pleased at his little speech, but only got an icy stare.

"Listen," she said, waving him aside and looking back at her friends. "I suppose this is a little my fault for not telling you sooner..."

"Oh, God." Weasley put his his palm to his forehead in an act of dramatics. "She's going to tell us she's become a Death Eater."

Potter grabbed his arm but didn't take his eyes off of the couple. "I don't think that's it."

"You two are pathetic," Draco mumbled.

"Shh!" Hermione turned to him with her finger on her lips. "If you would just let me get this out, maybe we could move onto other things!"

"Like my pending doom," Draco muttered under his breath.

"Everyone stop talking for one second and just let me say it!" Hermione said in a voice that demanded attention, and all three guys looked at her. She cleared her throat and focused in on Potter and Weasley. "Okay. Now listen closely, because I'm only going to explain it once. Draco and I... we got to know each other at work, and we've become close."

"What?" Weasley said, leaning over the counter. "You have got to be kidding me! You and Malfoy... have become... what?"

She frowned at him. "I said I was only going to say it once, Ron!"

Potter's shoulder's had slumped. "Well... I knew you had something going on, but I'm a little surprised that it's with him. Do you think we can talk about this in private? Without him standing here?"

Draco narrowed his eyes at Potter. "Do you think you can talk about me like I'm here, instead as though I'm not?"

"Really, Harry, he's got a point," Hermione said and then sighed.

Potter seemed to be making a huge effort to shift his eyes from Hermione to Draco, and when he did, his eyes narrowed. "Would you excuse us, Malfoy?"

"What? No please?" Draco folded his arms over his chest. "In that case, no. You're not excused."

Hermione smacked him in the arm. "Stop being so difficult!"

He frowned at her. "You want me to go away so the three of you can sit around and talk about what a jerk I am, and they can talk you out of hanging around me, is that right?" he asked. "No thanks. I think I'll stay and defend myself."

She took step toward him, and he could see the thunder in her eyes. "I think I can defend you just fine. Now, scram!"

He chewed on his lip for a few moments while he stared at her and debated his options. On one hand, he didn't like the idea of Potter and Weasley seeing Hermione bossing him around. On the other hand, he didn't want to suffer Hermione's wrath. "Okay, I can take a hint. I'll wait outside. Let me know when you're done."

Just before he turned to make a break for the door, she reached over to grab his shirt and pull him into a quick kiss. Okay, so maybe it wasn't hopeless. Maybe she would be on his side. After he straightened up, he couldn't help the grin that plastered itself over his features, and he raised an eyebrow at Potter and Weasley in victory. No matter what they said, they wouldn't change her mind. He was sure of it.

Both Weasley and Potter looked as they might kill him if they had the chance. Draco took it as his cue to leave, and a few seconds later, found himself sitting on the back stoop outside the door.

What a pathetic situation. Here he was, kicked out of his girlfriend's flat, while her friends tried to convince her that he was the scum of the earth. Fantastic.

He sat there a full minute before he pulled his wand out of his pocket and said a quick spell that made it so he could just barely hear their conversation through the door. Hermione would kill him if she knew, but if he was lucky, she would never find out.

"Honestly, Hermione," Potter was saying. "Out of all the guys you could pick, you chose Malfoy? Really?"

"If this is all you're going to say to me, Harry..."

"I don't even think it really needs to be said at all!" Weasley said. "You should know better, Hermione!"

"Don't scold me! I can date whomever I want!" she said.

"He's a Death Eater!" Weasley said.

"Not anymore!"

Draco leaned back from the door. Maybe he didn't want to hear this conversation after all. In any case, Hermione had kept her end of the bargain; she was sticking up for him, and that made him happy.

He removed the spell from the door and leaned against the railing. It would be best to ask her about what they had talked about later on.

It had to have been a good fifteen minutes later that the door opened and Draco quickly stood up on the stoop to see Potter and Weasley exiting the flat. Weasley rushed past him and kept walking down the sidewalk, but Potter stopped and stared at Draco as though he was trying to think of something to say.

"Now that we know," he said. "You better watch yourself." And he turned and followed Ron's trail down the sidewalk.

Draco was about to yell after him some smart remark, but the door opened and Hermione emerged, so he thought better of it, and smiled at her instead. "How did it go?"

She sighed and took his arm while they watched Potter and Weasley Apparate at the end of the block. "I guess it went okay. They weren't exactly pleased, if you can imagine. They don't really like you."

He laughed and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I'm not their biggest fan either."

"But I think they'll slowly get used to the idea." She turned her face up to smile at him. "They'll have to, because they won't have a choice. Right?"

He kissed her. "Right."


End file.
